GT3 Porsche Cup Trophy West, USTCC Join FIA WTCC Weekend in Sonoma

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

The FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) returns to Sonoma Raceway for the second consecutive year, Sept. 7-8, marking the series' only stop in North America.

This year, the international touring car series will headline a jam-packed weekend of on-track activity, including the addition of the Pirelli GT3 Porsche Cup Trophy USA West Series, the U.S. Touring Car Championship (USTCC) and Yokohama drifting demonstrations.

Below is a sneak peak at the on-track action fans can expect during the FIA WTCC weekend in Sonoma:

GT3 Porsche Cup Trophy USA WestThe Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA West series joins the WTCC weekend for the first time, featuring the premier point of Porsche Club racing in the United States with Porsche 997 and 996 GT3 Cup cars. Drivers will compete for championships in three classes (Platinum, Gold and Silver) during main events on Saturday and Sunday. The 2013 Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA West series is comprised of 21 races, at some of North America's most challenging racing venues. For more information, visit www.competentms.com.

USTCCThe U.S. Touring Car Championship joins the FIA WTCC for the second consecutive year in Sonoma, bringing its unique brand of road-racing to the scenic circuit. The USTCC features late model compact sedans such as BMW 3 Series, Mazdaspeed 3, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Honda Civic and others. The cars use slightly modified engines and highly modified suspensions with aerodynamic ground effects and sticky Nitto NT-01 racing tires. The USTCC will feature two main events over the race weekend, one on Saturday and the other on Sunday. Fans should expect hard-nosed racing on the 12-turn, twisting road course. The series features an eight-race schedule for 2013. Four of the events will be contested in Sonoma, including the season finale Nov. 9-10. For more information, visit www.ustcc.com.

Yokohama Formula Drift DemosThree of the hottest drivers in the Formula D series will slide through Sonoma Raceway for high-speed, tire-smoking demo runs on Saturday and Sunday. You'll see Michael Essa (GSR Autosport BMW E46), Toshiki Yoshioka (GTnet Tomei Subaru BRZ ) and Pat Mordaunt (A'pexi Lexus SC430) hit the track. Fans can also see the cars up close and meet the Yokohama Drift Team for autographs on both Saturday and Sunday in the main paddock.

Tickets for the FIA WTCC weekend in Sonoma are still available. For more information, visit www.racesonoma.com/wtcc or call 800-870-RACE.

Featured Event

The Toyota/Save Mart 350 roars into Sonoma June 22-24, and it’s guaranteed to be a wild ride. It’s the biggest rush to hit wine country, and you won’t want to miss a second of the action on and off track. Be sure to get your tickets as NASCAR tackles its first road course of the season.